


Lunatics

by Nydharani



Category: Glass (2019), Split (2016)
Genre: Albinism, Blood and Gore, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Mental Health Issues, Multi, Multiple Personalities, Past Abuse, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-28
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-10-18 13:00:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,039
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17581334
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nydharani/pseuds/Nydharani
Summary: When Claire invited the whole art class to her birthday party, Mabel found herself persuaded by Casey, her best friend, to go with her. However, as the day came to an end and Casey decided to head home with Claire and Marcia, they told her about the great danger the three girls were in. They told her that if she didn't act, she would never see them again.They were never wrong.*Disclaimer: Set in Split. Even though I have made my research, this fic does not represent any of the conditions the characters have. Though I try to be as coherent as possible, this is a fictional work *





	1. A Pitiful Goodbye

The school bell rang loudly, alerting everybody of the end of classes and, for many, the time to finally leave the building. Casey Cooke was not one of them however, and her fingers tapped the desk boringly as she leaned over to rest, preparing herself to endure two more hours in the detention class.

Each time it was becoming easier for the brunette to stay extra hours in college since the teachers ended up disliking Casey for her bad behavior and punishing her for ever more minor faults—and with the new school year starting, she almost didn't need to breathe to be sent to detention.

She was fine with it, though. In fact, she was looking for it to happen.

The teen yawned and closed her eyes, ready to wander far, far away from her body and let her mind take her to a more pleasant reality. However, her plans were ruined as the door opened, making her frown as everyone who was penalized were already there. Lazily, she lifted her head and looked towards the front, opening her eyes in surprise the second after.

Another girl had entered the room, a girl Casey had never seen before. She was dressed heavily which, mixing with her already short height, made her look extremely small. The teenager was wearing big sunglasses, a grey scarf and a red hoodie underneath a black long coat, covering her face. Black jeans and boots completed the otherwise, if not for the hood, monochrome outfit. The girl kept her head down, following the teacher in charge of the students for the day.

"It is a pity to introduce you in such circumstances, but it is what it is." Casey heard the lady say to the new student, making her to give an apologetic nod. "Class, listen up, please."

The woman cleared her throat and, with now everybody's attention, lifted a hand towards the teen.

"This is Mabel Save...Sadvo..."

"Sadoveanu." The sudden deep voice startled Casey, not expecting such tone from a girl, in appearance, so fragile. Her accent, one that Casey guessed came from Eastern Europe, "I'm Mabel Sadoveanu."

"Right." The professor cleared her throat "Mabel is a new in this school and in town. I believe one of you shares art class with her..." She paused, taking a list from the table and reading it in a second "Casey Cooke?"

The named girl sucked in a breath and, slowly, lifted her hand. She was sitting at the farthest corner of the class, so it too a second for the new student to spot her. Once she did thoug, her eyes locked with Casey's. Even though she was wearing sunglasses, the brunette felt how she stabbed her with her look.

"Mabel, please take a seat near Casey. She will make sure to show you around." The teacher's voice left no room for complaining, and the girl headed quietly towards her seat. As she sat down, she only took her coat off, earning an upset sound for the teacher. "Take your glasses and scarf off, please. This is a school, not a park."

Giggles and muted comments bloomed in the class and as a response, the girl pulled out from her bagpack a plasticized file. Casey eyed it out of the corner of her eye, and quickly identified it as a medical file. Without a word, she approached the educator and handed it to her. It only took a brief look for her to visibly become paler.

"Oh, I-I see...I'm sorry."

"It's fine. I will take it off, I just need to stay away from windows."

"I completely understand, dear."

The general murmur grew at this, and the teacher slapped the table twice to silence it. Mabel headed back to her seat and, without a word, took her accessories off.

The red hoodie still covered up her whole upper body and neck, but her face was visible for the first time. Casey's mouth dropped open as Mabel revealed herself to be, without a doubt, the fairest person the brunette has ever seen, being the light freckles she had scattered across her face the only stain of color in her skin. Long, curly, naturally white strands of hair emerged as she pulled the hoodie off her head, earning a few curious looks from the rest of the class. Mabel sat down and, without a word, took off her gigantic glasses, almost looking orthopedic. The girl offered her hand to Casey, looking at her out of the corner of her eye, turning her head slowly towards her.

Faded red eyes met her brown ones, startling her even more with her odd appearances. The scarlet orbs looked extremely tired, with white tendrils travelling all across the iris, ghostly white eyelashes and brows framing them

Mabel looked down and slowly retired her hand, making Casey realize she has been staring without saying nothing. Before she could entirely put down her hand, the brunette swiftly took it and shook it.

She kind off expected how cold it felt.

"Mabel" The foreigner said with a light smile.

"Casey" The other greeted her.

Casey could have sworn how the other girl's left eye twitched for a second before she quickly pulled away. Frowning, she was ready to immerse in her thoughts again, but Mabel's sad yet kind voice echoed in her ears.

"I'm aware of my odd looks, so sorry for disturbing you." Before Casey could deny it, she gave her another smile, crooked but warm— But I promise, albinism is not contagious." She said, winking.

The brunette giggled softly. As she was about to respond to the comment, the teacher commanded them to be quiet. Because of it, an hour later, both of them were communicating through little pieces of paper with words and drawings. She didn't know how to explain it, but there was something about her expression, the way her eyes looked so distant yet how gently she expressed herself that made Casey feel comfortable around her, something that hadn't happened in a long time.

For once, neither of them minded not to be alone.

* * *

"Happy birthday, Claire!"

The room was filled with joy and laughter as the entire art class celebrated one of the brightest student's birthday, Claire Benoit. While everybody were chatting and taking pictures, two girls sat silently on a dark corner, away from the windows and the sunlight they let in. Casey and Mabel were just enjoying the silence and warmness of each other's presence — their friendship was based on giving each other space and talking about things both of them were comfortable about. Because of it, they knew little about each other apart from their names but, for now, it was enough.

As the day came to an end, the crowd started slowly to disappear as everyone headed home. At the end, only five people remained in the building.

"I have to search the bus' route" Casey said, pulling out her phone.

"Can nobody come and pick you up?" Mabel asked, arching a brow. The way Casey's face became visibly ghostly made her regret ever asking.

"Our car is broken." She said without further explanation.

_Liiaaar..._

Mabel's eye twitched as she quickly reached for the small plastic bottle inside her purse. Without thinking about it, she swallowed one of the pills from inside the container as she tried not to look at her friend. The faster she silenced them, the better.

_She thinks she can quiet us down. The rats will eat her up again._

_Funny. Funny. Funny. What a_ _**funny girl** _ _._

_She would be nothing without us!_

_What will she do once she finds out we'll never leave her alone?_

"Mabel?" The light tap on her shoulder made her suck a breath, placing a hand on her template as she realized she had been quiet for too long.

"I'm sorry, I got lost in my thoughts." She reassured her with a gentle smile. "Could you also look up the night route? For the bus."

"I can wait for you, if you'd like."

"Hey! guys!" A man in his forty, who the girls quickly recognized as Claire's father approached them, followed closely by her daughter and Marcia, her best friend. "So, how are you going home?"

"My uncle's car is broken." Casey started. "We will take the bus."

"You're not taking a bus, I'll drive you home." he said with a heart warming smile.— Claire has almost saved her half of the money she needs for a car, isn't that right?—his daughter gave him an energetic nod. "This will be one of the few times left I can drive you guys around!"

"I...uhm...—Casey doubted."

"You won't be able to hear my dad tell jokes that only he thinks are funny for an entire car ride unless you come. You really don't wanna miss that."

The brunette nodded with a grateful look and turned to her friend, who place a hand on her shoulder.

"Go with them."

"We can also drive you home if you want." The man told her, trying to persuade her.

"I appreciate it, but I'd rather wait until its a bit darker."

Before her father complained about her decision, Claire stopped him grabbing his arm. Everybody in class were aware of her skin condition and how damaging the sun could be for her, so she left her judgement and knowledge about her own disease be the best one.

"I could wait with you. I don't mind-"

"I don't want you to do that. "She smiled softly, only to become one of the saddest Casey had seen Mabel wear "I'm used to this, believe me. I wouldn't forgive myself if something happened to you because of me."

"Okay, but...text me when you get home." the girl asked her while she was taking her jacket.

"Will do." Mabel waved her hand at the group, who left the place seconds after.

The albino sat down and leaned in as she put her earphones on, ready to wait for a couple of hours until the sunlight was weak enough for her. She could have used extra sunscreen, but she didn't mind waiting while listening to some music. Slowly, she started to drift away, losing herself in the melodic vocals of her favorite singer.

_What a pitiful goodbye for people you will never see again._

Her eyes opened widely as the words still echoed on her head.

"What did you just say?"

_Poor girls. So young, and yet so delicious. He should try their corpses in the oven with peppers and fur_

_But what is him? Wait. Stop talking, she tried to kill us!_

_HahahahHAHAHhaha..._

_Not him. Them._

_A them that is a him? A him who can't control a them?_

_Shut up! She's trying to think! Let her think!_

Mabel felt her head burn and had the urgent need to scream with all the strength she had on her lungs. But if they were right, Casey and the others were in danger.

And the voices were always right.

* * *

A single tear ran through Casey's cheeks as the mysterious man sprayed Claire and Marcia with a somniferous drug. Slowly, as slowly as she ever had been in her entire life, she reached for the door's handler, not even daring to breathe. For now, the kidnapper was focused on cleaning the remaining of his hand prints. With extreme care, she reached the handler and tried to open the door.

Her heart skipped a beat when the car's light whistle alerted the man, who stabbed her with his harsh, deep blue eyes. She looked at him trembling, shaking in complete fear, froze in place. Again, there was nothing she could do.

However, the she felt the door fully opening from the other side, and Casey could have sworn she had witnessed a miracle.

Everything happened at slow-motion for the brunette. As the door opened, a hand grabbed her arm tightly, pulling her from within the car. Casey could only see white hair and red clothing swirling around her until she was pushed hardly by her rescuer. She looked back at the car and watched how the man, who looked so firm and calm before, furiously tried to get a grip on her again.

"Run, Casey!" Mabel's voice sounded so distant to Casey "RUN!"

Casey's survival instinct kicked in and, without a thought, she started to run. She didn't go far though, as she felt how the grip that had previously saved her was now interrupting her escape.

With horror, she watched how the kidnapper grabbed her friend and forced her to get in the car. Before he would take them both, Mabel let go and pushed Casey one more time.

"GO! NOW!"

With tears streaming down her face, she screamed as she watched her friend being ferociously drugged. Desperate, she ran looking for help. The evil man did not waste time though, and as soon as he understood he wouldn't be able to catch the escaped girl without being noticed, he angrily started the car and drove away.

* * *

Cursing with all his might, Dennis had never been so overwhelmed by anger.

He was a perfectionist, and everything had to go according to his plans, even more when he was dealing with something as important as his awakening. He had everything planned out, everything was going smoothly as he had pictured.

And then. she appeared.

Out of the blue, the girl he now had at his side, messed all his plans. His awakening was now in danger, as the runaway teen could give his information to the police.

God, he was already feeling his gut clench as the thought of Patricia knowing about what just happened.

"Calm down, Dennis." He tried to reassure himself "Everything is going according to the plan. You got the girls, you will get them in. You didn't speak nor left any hand prints on her. He...he will have his sacred food."

As his breath became normal again, he looked down at the girl, whose head was almost placed on his lap due to the struggling.

"And she...she will have what she deserves."

**If you came this far, thank you for reading! Please, leave a comment or a like if you want this fic to go on, as I'm not entierly sure this fandom is still active. I hope you liked it!**


	2. How Dirty Women Can Be

Mabel's fragile eyes could only catch glimpses of what was happening around her lethargic body.

It seemed she was still wearing her red hoodie, as she could feel that the bright, artificial light hitting her eyes was muted by the shadow it cast over her head.  She blinked many times, trying to create a clear image of her surroundings. It was futile however, as she could only visualize metal snakes slithering through an ocher ceiling. 

To make things worse, she could see how the tubes moved and twisted while feeling a cold surface against her back, meaning that her body was being carried away. The situation she was facing— her body not being able to move even though she was conscious and awake—brought her old memories, memories of blood-scented dark woods, memories she has been desperately trying to forget by any means. For a moment the idea to scream passed through her mind, but she was too weak and aware of the consequences it might bring.  

She, ever so slightly, moved her head around, trying to catch clues or glimpses of the place she was. Instead, she saw a tall figure who she recognized as the man who had kidnapped her. He was giving her his back as he dragged her, so he was unable to see she was already awake. Mabel tried to even her respiration and closed her eyes, trying to look asleep, waiting for an opportunity to do something. 

Not much time passed until the man stopped walking. The girl blinked for a second, catching the sight of a door and the man trying to open it. She heard the clicking of the key as it successfully unlocked it and him turning around to push her inside. However, it did not happen instantly, something that made Mabel hyper-aware of her surroundings. Her hair bristled as she felt his shadow right above her, how his eyes stared intensely at her, almost undressing her with his look. She heard his breathing accelerating and his dubious steps around the metal table, and yet she remained calm.

Mabel was in control—after all, she had faced worse situations before.

It all changed when one of his fingers caressed lightly, almost dearly, one of her cheeks. The eerie muttering inside her head, which was likely as asleep as her body, was starting to make sense.

_He's mad at you. He's angry, He's **furious**. _

_He wants to punish you. A rough, pleasurable punishment._

_The them? not so much. But the he? He longs for a warm feeling._

_HahahaHA!_

_Wishes and words sprouting from the same seed._

The man grew bolder, and what was a lingering touch became a needy contact, pressing his big hand against her face. Because of it, the twitching of her eye went unnoticed.

"So cold..." his thick and rough voice echoed in the girl's ears, sending disgusting shivers through her spine. It was the first time she heard it, and it was as menacing as she had pictured.

_Shall we cook his hand with oil or butter?_

_Let's make the tallow from the fat of a hangman._

Dennis' fingers touched the girl's lips, dazzled. He has never seen someone like her—so pale and, in appearance, so fragile, so pure. Only the lower part of her face was visible, her hair scattering around her like a heavenly halo. Because of it, a bead of sweat ran through her forehead as he started to feel that deep, dark need he had been dealing with ever since he reached manhood. It crawled and grew in his belly, making he realize that it was time to stop. Placing a hand on his forehead and rubbing it over his head, Dennis shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. Clearing his throat, she finally placed the surface where the girl was lying inside the room.

The other two girls were already lying in one of the two beds, so Dennis walked towards the free one. Softly, she took the teen's body and placed it in the mattress. With a sigh, he took a few seconds before turning to the door and leaving the room, leaving the girl so tired from all the concentration that she fell asleep right after.

* * *

"Mabel, wake up. Please, wake up..."

The distant voice of a worried girl finally pulled the Mabel's body out of its long lethargy. Slowly, her numb limbs started to move from fingers to arms and from toes to legs. With a grunt, the teen sat on the uncomfortable bed, pulling the hood off her head, rubbing her eyes and hair.

She took a moment to look around. The room was small and cold, with plastered and wooden ceiling and rock walls. An even smaller bathroom was out of keeping with the rest of the room, with porcelain white ceramic and perfectly clean mirrors. A small, ocher colored flower was carefully placed inside a glass on the sink. As Mabel turned her head to her bed again, she saw a similar flower placed on the pillow with the same care.

"Thank God, you're okay." Finally, Mabel recognized Claire as the owner of the voice and looked at her, confused. She was hugging Marcia, who seemed to be as terrified as her. They were both shaking, probably already aware of their precarious situation. Another flower, just like the other two, was lying on their pillow. "Do yo know what happened to my dad? Did you see him?" 

The albino negated with her head, looking down. Claire held a whimper and cleaned her wet eyes.

"What about Casey? Where is she?" Her best friend's name made her eye twitch.

Just when she was about to answer that she made it out of the car and should be probably reporting what happened right now, the familiar sound of a key unlocking the door made her shut up and look straight at the source of the sound while Claire and Marcia hugged between them even more tightly.

Their infamous captor entered the room without saying a word, a frightening and unsettling aura surrounding him.

He placed a chair on the center and sat on it after cleaning the surface, crossing his arms. After a few seconds and with an equally serious and threatening face, started to individually look at each girl. Firstly, he looked at Claire and Marcia, who immediately looked away, trembling. Slowly, as if he was savoring the moment, he turned her head and stared deeply at her. Mabel felt her head starting to burn.

_Look at him. Look at him!_

_No, don't do it! He wants the challenge. He wants a reason to hurt you._

_He already has it! **Look at him.**_

_He'll think you're a whore. That you want him. Wait...you are a whore!_

_Pathetic whore. Coward. Don't look at him._

Mabel was really thankful that her hair covered her whole face right now, she couldn't afford to let the man seeing her cry. She didn't know what to do and, as she clenched her fists around the metallic bar that supported the mattress, she decided to not make things more difficult for herself and kept staring down, feeling helpless. 

Dennis chuckled, full of himself at her reaction. Now they were on his territory, and he knew they would not dare to behave wrongly. Because he was in control and would likely be for a long while, his mind filled with lustful thoughts about the three girls, specially about the pale one. It was the one that intrigued him the most—how would her ivory skin blush with embarrassment as she danced for him and how would it taste after it became sweaty. Would it be as cold as when he touched her for the first time? He wanted to know  it more than anything. Then, he looked at her knuckles, who were bone white due to how hard she was gripping the mattress.

The blue eyed man interpreted her actions and thought that she would make too much of a fuss, would resist and be too difficult to handle. Dennis was looking for a quick diversion to satiate his twisted needs, not a challenge that would take long hours— at least, not for now. 

His head then turned towards Marcia and breathed heavily. The dark-haired girl pulled down her skirt a bit, feeling intimidated by the sudden attention. And she was right to be so.

"I choose you first." He said, standing up and pointing at Marcia. 

Mabel, who had been biting her lip in a way to restrain herself, opened her eyes widely at the man's words. It was at that moment that she knew she just couldn't stay quiet.

_Don't do anything. Better her than you._

_Bone round in melody and word layed in rain._

_He likes it clean, yet he wants nothing more but mess her up._

_She's about to do something!  Nothing will stop her!_

_Then tell him._

_Tell him  just how dirty women can be._

As the albino's head filled with whispers and voices, the man walked towards Marcia and stood a few inches away from her, trying to reach her arm with his hand. A soon as he grabbed her, Marcia started to scream.

"This will only t--"

"She's on her period!" Mabel exclaimed as she stood up, placing a hand over her mouth a second after, realizing just how bold  stupid that was.

The kidnapper froze just as he was about to catch Marcia's arm, unable to believe what he just heard. A very similar thing happened to Mabel— her heart skipped a beat as she realized what she just said. It was a very pitiful attempt to help Marcia, but in her heart she felt strangely secure about her answer.

Marcia and Claire were unable to utter a single word, and so the room stood silent for a moment.

"What did you just say?" he said slowly, remarking every word with contained anger. It was the first time both of them maintained complete and direct eye contact, and Mabel couldn't help but analyze the man in front of her. His head was bald but not due to loss of hair, but because he had shaved it all. He was muscular and taller than her —much taller, in fact. The man seemed to be around his late twenties and was wearing dark, fitted shirt and trousers. His eyes, blue and cold as ice were framed by black glasses, giving him a much imposing appearance. Were things different, perhaps she might've even find him handsome.

"She's on her period." Mabel repeated, this time trying to keep her voice calm.  She raised her hands in a soothing way while she took little steps towards them, thoughts running through her head desperately as she was trying to find a way out of the situation. "W-We all are."

"S-She's right!" Claire started as she tried to protect Marcia embracing her stronger. "Girl's periods tend to synchro--"

"You really expect me to believe that bullshit!?" the man shouted as she pulled Marcia, making the girls shriek in terror. However, they didn't go far.

A hand gripped his own arm strongly, startling him. The room went silent for a moment, and Dennis followed the terrorized gaze of the two girls towards the owner of that ghostly white hand. He didn't let it show in his face just how surprised he was by the girl's actions.

It was the first time Dennis was seeing the full face of that girl, and he was not disappointed by it. She was not the most beautiful girl he had ever seen— the dark-skinned one was far more attractive than her. But that paleness, contrasting with those red eyes of her, made her look otherworldly. Her ivory hair fell until her waist, covering one of those magical eyes.

It were those eyes the ones that almost made Dennis let the girl go, how they looked at him without fear, even almost without light. The feeling they produced in his body, that strange dread, was unknown to him. It just didn't feel right.

Like there was a shadow covering them, and a glimpse of something much darker behind it.

The girl blinked twice and, a moment after, that dreadful sensation her eyes expanded through his body dissipated as they looked alive and intelligent again. In fact, her whole face changed as her deadly serious visage started to turn into a  worried one, showing repentance about her actions. However, both of them knew it was too late for that. Before Dennis talked again, the albino intervened again.

"Y-You're right." She agreed as she let the man's arm go and placed herself in front of him, letting Marcia and Claire out of his reach. "We could be lying but..." Mabel held back a smile, remembering the voices' advice as everything started to make sense "...do you really want to find out?"

"Step as--"

"When you walked in, you cleaned the chair before sitting down." She continued despite the blue eyed man furious expression. "Everything in here is spotless, even though we mustn't mean a thing to you. If you're this clean and tidy, is it really worth taking a risk?"

Dennis was viciously looking at the girl as her words sank in. She was right— only thinking about it made him gag, and the fact that their room could be dirty in any way was making him insane. 

"What if she, or any other of us, ends up staining something...or you?"

The man took three dubious steps back and forth breathing heavily with anger, indecisive about what to do. His needs and desires were battling his OCD and the latter was winning. With a displeased grunt, he walked towards the door, hearing the sighs of relief coming from the other two teens. He turned one more time to them, and there they were.

Red eyes, staring at him with distrust and carefulness. A ghost who wasn't supposed to be there and yet there she was, protectively standing between him and the other two girls. 

He closed the door infuriatingly and left the three women alone again. Mabel's body fell slowly onto the ground, sitting on it as she felt it numb due to all the pressure suffered. 

"Everything is okay." Claire said breathy "We're okay."

Mabel started to tremble and hugged herself, trying to find some comfort in her own warmness. It had been a many years since she had to deal with a situation that produced such anxiety within her, and memories she had tried to forgot so badly were coming back stealthily, like a mist approaching her mind. The voices in her head spoke louder, in her native and other languages, confusing and tormenting her with their laughs and insults.

"No..." She whispered. "It's not okay..."

Right now, there was only one thing she was certain off.

She needed her medication back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to thank all the people who left kudos, bookmarks and comments. Without them, this wouldn't have continued. Thank you all!!


	3. Let Her Dig Her Own Grave

Dennis cursed the others innerly while he walked upstairs, heading towards Dr. Fletcher office. If she found out what he, Patricia and the kid were planning, she could endanger his awakening. And so, now he had to visit their doctor masquerading as that stupid, loud-mouth and arrogant man called Barry. He hated his clothes, he hated his way of speaking, he hated his personality— he was his antithesis, and the fact that Barry was the one that banned him out of the light only made him relationship with that man even worse.

He held back a smile as he knocked on the door. Now he was in control thanks to Hedwig, and Barry had to watch them do as they pleased as he screamed and wrestled in his chair. But there were times when he and his crew manage to take the light for a moment, something that upset Dennis immensely as it generated this kind of situations. He liked to have everything under control.

Shortly after, the door was opened by an elderly lady, with a gentle visage and warm gaze.

"Hey! I uh..." Dennis started, making his voice sound much more high-pitched, much more joyful "I was inspired!"

The session went by just as he had planned. He walked around the room pretending to have an easy-going smile and attitude, starting to talk about his— Barry's— designs as he, cautiously, fixed the position of various objects. The conversation went on as they talked about fashion and how consistent he had been on his job. Of course he was, he thought.

Eventually, he stopped in front of the wall with all of 's diplomas and decorations. The woman realized then that he was strangely avoiding to look at her for too long.

"Did something happen, Barry?" His body seemed to froze for a second, instantly returning to his playful self.

"How old are ya?" He asked while turning to her, innerly trying to divert the attention. Barry would be bold enough to ask that, so he added a funny grimace "It's just the Internet is inconsistent on this point."

"Why is that on your mind?" She responded, frowning.

"Who's gonna look after us when ya retire or...pass on?" he furthered, restarting his route across the room "Ya know, we're gonna have to take care of ourselves and nobody even believes that we exist." The man shrugged, pretending to actually care about it.

"If ever something would've happened to me, I made arrangements with a college from Baltimore to take over."

Deep inside, Dennis knew that the doctor achieved wonders with Kevin and had protected him since the beginning, and for that he was grateful. But if something happened to her and as long as he had the light, he would avoid going to another doctor.

He didn't want to be declared an unwanted personality again.

"Hey, you uh...ya live alone"? Surprising himself, he genuinely was curious bout it.

"You know this."

"Uhm, sorry, I just meant how long." Dennis grinned.

"Always" she chuckled, a bit surprise about his sudden curiosity bout her personal life. Dennis looked at her, frowning.

"That must be so lonely..." The man muttered, lost in his thoughts.

In reality, Dennis was familiar with that feeling. He had been sitting in his chair for years unnoticed, unwanted. He was the eight borne, the one who protected Kevin when his situation was just too unbearable for the other first seven, receiving every one of the punishments and beatings her mother inflicted on him. And so, in order to protect him, he learned how shut his heart away from everyone.

How to be as cold and perfect as glass.

And then, when the others emerged, he was neglected and laughed upon, as if he wasn't needed anymore and thus should've be thrown away like garbage. The loneliness, the endless hours screaming in the dark...

Dennis looked down and saw a a bowl of candy badly placed, which momentarily served as an anchor with the real world, slipping away from his thoughts while he fixed its position.

"Ya know what, uhm...I'm doing much better, I shouldn't have emailed you. I'm just-I mean, look at me. I'm too impulsive!" He smiled with a smile that was not his.

Even though sometimes he wished it was.

* * *

Water rushed through Mabel's face delicately as she washed it in the bathroom, feeling how it cleaned his skin and spirit. Carefully, she placed both hands at each border of the ceramic and breathed in heavily. It was becoming more and more difficult to control her thoughts—though control was not a word she could apply, as she was never able to tame her stormy mind.

Mabel rubbed a hand through her hair and, for a moment, she thought about Casey. The albino had never wanted to ask about the private life of her friend, as she understood what it was to have secrets too deep and dark to tell. She did know Casey escaped from the assault, so did she report everything to the police? Were they looking for them right now? The girl really hoped so.

She only prayed they didn't uncover her secret.

Without much thought, she lifted her head to look at her reflection at the mirror. The bright light of the light bulb momentarily hurt her eyes, and she damned under her breath as she placed her hands over them. Her eyes were so weak she couldn't even see when there was a lot of light. That's how pitiful she was, she thought innerly. After a few seconds, she took her hands off her faced and opened her eyes.

And that's where she saw it.

In the reflection, right beside at her, there was another face. It looked like her own but, at the same time, it wasn't nothing like hers. Eyes crying blood, fangs long and sharp and an insane visage.

She wasn't staring at a human.

She was staring at a devil.

Mabel shrieked in pure horror and looked at her side, only to find that is was empty. Breathing rapidly, she gazed back at the mirror, finding that she was alone again. She realized, with a tear streaming down her face, that she has been the entire time alone.

"Shh! Come here!" Mabel heard Marcia whisper, hopeful "There's a woman out there!"

Placing a hand over her heart in order to calm herself, she left the bathroom and saw the two girls on their knees, staring through the keyhole. Mabel walked towards them quietly and sat near them, resting her ear carefully on the door. She tried to focus, but the previous incident still affected her.

It was finally happening. She was really loosing her mind.

"Dennis, admit what you've done." A soft but severe voice came through, forcing Mabel to finally stop thinking about what happened.

"Don't get upset." The voice sounded very familiar, and she instantly recognized Dennis as the man that captured them.

"Don't tell me. I'm getting frightened." The worry in the woman's voice was palpable, making a ray of hope shone. Perhaps Casey did manage to send help? "I thought that you had this under control. Please tell me it's not too late."

"The food is waitin'." Dennis responded darkly, making Mabel's eye twitched.

 _Get away from them! Get away from_ _**her** _ _!"_

_The them that were a he now is a she. More collected than the he. More dangerous than any of the them._

_The priestess who will serve your heart to her god._

"Is she in that room?"

Slowly, Mabel stood up and stepped back, feeling her heart pounding so fast it could jump off her chest. Whoever the person behind the door was proved to be even more of a threat than Dennis.

"We're here!" The girls started shouting suddenly as the pounded the door hardly, startling the albino.

"No. No!" She tried to warn them. "Stay away from the door!"

Even with her words, the girls kept desperately trying to catch the lady's attention. Mabel completely understood them though—were not for her unstable mind, she would be right were the others were. The door opened shortly after, revealing the woman Dennis had been talking to.

Claire and Marcia withdrew, firstly with hope, one that vanished into pure horror while Mabel could only open her eyes widely. As everything the voices had said concerning their kidnapper started to make sense, her surprise changed to a serious grimace, her brows furrowed while her understanding of the situation changed completely.

In front of them stood their captor, who was no longer their captor. Instead, another person—a woman, stood in his place.

Dennis was now fully dressed in women's clothing, with a burgundy turtle neck sweater and a ankle-length, black skirt with dark heels and a long, golden necklace. The person Mabel had in front of her was no longer Dennis, she realized.

_Don't complain. Don't shout. Don't misbehave._

_She is the one who decides for the rest._

As she stood with pride, she placed both hands in front of her and breathed in calmly.

"Don't worry. I'll talk to him." She spoke softly, a gentle smile upon her face. "He listens to me."

She eyed each girl individually, inspecting their faces with care. Two of them, the ones that were firstly selected to be sacred food, looked at her like everyone else did when they found out her condition. Concern. Horror. Fright. Disgust. The woman was already used to it.

The other one, however, adopted a very different approach, surprising her slightly. The teen was frowning, her white hair covering the majority of her face as her scarlet eyes inspected her as carefully as she had done with them. The girl's eye started to twitch uncontrollably, a thing that the lady did not pay much attention to.

Patricia recognized her as the one Dennis had talked about.

"He's not well." The woman furthered, given the girls' silence. "He knows what you're here for. He's not allow to touch you. He knows that." She said, shaking her head.

She hummed, trying to reassure the group. As none of them were responding, she stepped back and proceeded to close the door.

"Wait." A cold voice spoke up, startling her. She faced the teens again, finding the pale one in the middle on the room as the others watched her in pure disbelief. Patricia blinked twice and cleared her throat, keeping her cool.

"Yes, child?" She questioned, bowing her head slightly.

"I...uh..." Mabel stuttered, not quite sure about how to ask. "I'm sorry for bothering you, but I wanted to ask you a favor, miss..."

"Patricia will do, dear." The lady smiled gently, clearly delighted at Mabel's manners. Good.

"Patricia." She repeated as she walked one step closer towards her. "There is something I need. It's inside my bag, but it was taken from me when...when Dennis took us here." Mabel explained, carefully choosing her words.

"I see." The lady responded, rubbing her chin "Hmm...I'm afraid I cannot give you any personal belong-"

"It's not personal." The albino cut her, earning a grunt from Patricia. Mabel bit her tongue, cursing under her breath for interrupting. "I wouldn't dare to ask for such a thing, miss. It's just medicine."

"Mabel, you're sick?" Claire asked her in a frightened whisper quickly shushed by Patricia, who stared at her with a death glare. Her attention turned back to the albino and, leaning a bit towards her while placing her hands on her thighs so she could stare directly into the girl's eyes. Delicately, she touched Mabel's chin and made her look at her. Their eyes interlocked — beautiful blue against muddy red.

"Tell me. What afflicts you?" She said quietly. "It's not contagious, is it?"

_Don't you dare to lie._

_Don't. You. Dare._

_What should she do? What should she do?_

_Shut up! Let her dig her own grave!_

"No, ma'am. It's..." Mabel tried to hide how she swallowed hard as she could practically hear her brain work. Should she lie to her or try to tell the truth as faintly as possible? What if she uncovered the lie? Or if she told the truth, what would she do to her?Mabel knew one thing. She was not ready to give away what she really was. Perhaps she would buy a little lie? "...It's for my skin condition. Without treatment, my skin can flake and may even crack. It could get a lot worse really fast without my medication."

"Huh...I see..." Patricia muttered, carefully moving Mabel's head in order to inspect her further "I must say I'm not familiarized with it. Very well. "The woman stood again and, walking towards the door, she extended her hand towards the girl. "Why don't you come with me, hm? I think it would be good to...get to know each other better."

Mabel swallowed hard. There was no other way, she had to go with her and pray to the unknown she would fall for it. The girl looked back to Claire and Marcia, who had written all over their faces their incredibility to the situation developed right in front of them. With a nod and looking straight into Patricia's eyes, she held her hand.

"My, how cold." She exclaimed as she trembled deliberately. "Dennis already told me, but it just makes you shiver!

"I'm sorry." Mabel said as she closed the door behind her. An apology for Patricia, Claire, Marcia and herself.

* * *

Casey breathed out exhausted as she walked gloomily. The last day has been complete madness— talking to the police, describing the kidnapper to the media...hell, she didn't even get to go home until this very moment, one which she was trying to delay as much as possible.

However, if Mabel was finally found, everything would have been worth it.

The scene where she came to save her still played on repeat inside her head, thinking about it with equally gratefulness and guilt. Many times during the two days the phrase  _it should have been me_ echoed in her mind, eating her alive. Casey has been reduced to nothingness by her uncle many years ago, and she was sure Mabel had a better life than her. Or at least, that's what she thought until this past morning.

She remembered it quite well—the families of Claire and Marcia storming inside the police department, yelling and crying for help. The hurt and guilt written all over Claire's face as he also gave information about that evil man while mothers, brothers and sisters couldn't stop the tears that came from their eyes. In her ingenuous mind, she wanted to think her uncle would have come too if she was the one abducted instead of her friend, if only to make sure he seemed concerned about Casey's well-being. And so, she noticed.

She noticed no one came asking for Mabel.

The girl waited all day long for her family. They never actually talked about private life matters, but even if she was an orphan, there should be a foster family or a tutor to ask for her, right? After all, she was still seventeen— though she recalled her birthday would be soon. She was mentally prepared to explain to them what happened and how sorry she was for Mabel's sacrifice. How she cried endlessly, wishing it didn't happen while also being grateful.

Casey entered her house reluctantly, trying to not make any noise. It was futile however, as her uncle was waiting for her in a coach nearby.

"Where the fuck were you?" He asked her aggressively as he urged her to come closer while he drank from a bottle of beer.

"I...I told you. I went to the pol-"

"I remember, idiot. But why did you take so long." John got up and grabbed her shoulder hardly, making Casey gasp in pain. "You didn't reveal our little secret, did you Casey-bear?"

The nickname made her sick in her stomach.

"Of course not, uncle." She said trembling "They just asked me a lot of questions."

"Hm." He released her and sat again, facing the TV this time "Go make me dinner and clean the kitchen. When you're finished go to your room. And you're not allowed to go to the police ever again, understood?"

"But what if they ask me a-"

"Understood!?" John yelled, shutting Casey instantly as she nodded. "That's my girl. Now scram."

And so the rest of the day went off silently for the girl, who just made what her uncle asked for without saying a word. She knew what would happen if she ever complained, and did not want to live that experience again. After doing the chores, Casey went straight to her room, not feeling hungry at all. However, as soon as she changed clothes, an unknown number called her.

"Casey Cooke?" a man said at the other side of the line.

"Yes?" she responded.

"This is the police, Mrs. Cooke. We called due to what happened to your friends. I know the incident has been a lot to take in for you, but we found an...an inconsistency in one of the abducted girls: Mabel Sadoveanu."

"An inconsistency? What does that mean?"

"...I think it would be best for you to come."

Casey sucked on a breath, unsure of what to do. She never disobeyed her uncle once in the last years, and doing so could very much mean the end for her. John would never let her out again if he found out she went to the police again. Then again, she wouldn't even have that chance if not for Mabel, right?

Perhaps...perhaps she could do what she had to just this once. For her.

"I'll be there tomorrow."

* * *

"Sit here for a moment, please." Patricia said as she pointed towards a chair. "Your purse must be somewhere around here."

While Mabel sat rather uncomfortably on the chair, the woman went around the room slowly, checking in every drawer of the room, one that seemed to be a small living room. The girl was ready to wait in silence, but Patricia had other plans.

"Tell me, dear." she said turning at her slightly. "If I heard correctly, your name is Mabel, correct?"

"...Yeah." The girl said in an almost inaudible voice. For her own good, she thought it was best to not say any more lies.

"Ah, what a lovely name." the woman cooed almost happily. "It reminds me of my home."

"Your...home?"

"England, of course!" she giggled. "Doesn't my accent give it away? Mabel is a British name, darling."

"Oh. Yes, I know that. I just never heard British English before. Forgive me." The teen responded, looking down somewhat ashamed. Patricia looked at her arching a brow.

"Where are you from?" The question startled her, staring directly into the woman's eyes. "I noticed your accent, though I must say I can't quite place it."

The barely thought of her homeland send shivers through her spine, but Mabel hid it as best as she could. She didn't want to remember what happened there. Why she had to leave. But, irremediably, she was.

"Romania." Mabel muttered sadly.

"How exotic!" Patricia said in a rather cheerful way. "I heard such wonders about that place. Oh, you must've seen beautiful things there."

"I've seen...I've seen many things" she responded, immersed in her own thoughts. "Beautiful, yes, but also..."

Mabel didn't noticed she had stopped talking, a thing that Patricia did. She looked at her with her brows slightly furrowed, a bit curious about the girl's reaction to her homeland. It's not like she actually cared, however. After all, the girl wouldn't have to worry about anything anymore in a couple of days.

"Ah, here it is!" Patricia exclaimed, taking Mabel's handbag from a small closet. Bringing it with her, she sat right in front of the girl and placed the object on the table. "Let's see...Mobile, wallet, sunglasses..."

Mabel looked at the woman as she worked her way through her purse. There weren't really a lot of things, so she should find out her pills soon enough. However, while her attention was entirely focused on the woman, a glimpse of something else appeared not far behind the woman, diverting her stare.

What she saw left her breathless.

A little girl stood there quietly, serious and silent. The kid, who was as pale and shared the same features as Mabel, had spiky, fiery red hair and blue eyes. She looked at Mabel without saying a word, without moving at all.

"Here they are!" Patricia stated as she took out the bottle full of pills. The label had been carefully removed from the flask, making it impossible to identify the medicine. "I guess this is the..."The woman noticed how her face became even paler, a terrified look written all over her face as she looked behind her. Patricia looked back, trying to identify what was scaring the girl so much. However, she saw nothing.

In an attempt to catch the girl's attention, she snapped her fingers in front of her face, making her jump in her seat as she looked at her again, like she just woke up from a dream. It made Patricia frown.

Mabel looked at the woman's hands and sighed in relief. Soon, what just happened, the voices and everything else would stop tormenting her.

"There they are." She said with a smile. "Thank you."

Just when the girl was about to take them from the woman's hands, she placed them away from her reach.

"Wait a minute." Patricia said darkly, alarming Mabel "I don't know what these pills are for, dear."

"But-but I already told you they were for-"

"I know what you said." She cut her as she stood up, fixing the placement of the turtle neck. "But for what we know, you could be lying, hm? There's no layer in the bottle."

"...I neeed them." Mabel almost begged, feeling her eyes getting get. " _Please._ "

"I'll think about it." She said as she lifted the girl's head to look straight into her eyes. "Don't worry. You have nothing to fear if you told the truth, hm?"

Patricia smiled, and Mabel knew. She knew the woman has seen through her lies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to say thank you again to those that commented and left kudos and bookmarks. They fuel me! I made this chapter extra long...tell me in the comments if you prefer the chapters to be like this or shorter than before, and if you enjoyed it overall!


	4. It Takes Time To Evolve

The freshness of the grass under her feet. The rustic scent of firewood and aromatic herbs, coming from her house not far away. The sound of singing voices, guitars, violins and drums. The light warmth of the autumn sun on her fragile skin. The indigo dress swirling around her body as she danced and laughed.

A voice called the child and, between laughs, the little girl ran away from it. She ran until her inexperienced legs failed and pushed her down, feeling the soft, damp ground embracing her. Still giggling, she rubbed her face.

And when she lifted her head and opened her eyes, there it was.

The Hoia-Baciu forest.

Imposing. Scary.

That was why she had been banned from entering it. Ever.

"Mabel!" The named girl turned around, free from the enchanting sight of the woods. A dark haired and skinned woman walked towards her, wearing a blue and gold scarf around her head, a white blouse and a long, orange skirt. She held the hand of a girl who looked like Mabel, but dressed in yellow and with red curls instead of white ones. The kid let go of the woman's hand waved it high, trying to catch Mabel's attention.

"Sister, come back!". The adult laughed and placed the hand over her belly, which was currently carrying another life. The white haired girl ran towards them and throw herself in her sister's arm.

"You know you can't go in there!"

"Don't worry, Stea. I'm not going anywhere. I just... I thought I heard something."

"What did you hear?" her sister asked her, curious.

Mabel looked back at the forest.

"A howl."

* * *

"Hey...you okay?"Marcia's hand placed on her shoulder was enough to bring Mabel back, who instantly realized she had been day-dreaming. She gasped and nodded, trying not to alert the other two something was becoming very wrong inside her head.

By thinking about better moments, she hoped she could keep the dark mist away.

"Guys, we have to think of a way out here." Claire stated when she saw Mabel was fully aware of the conversation. "I don't know if this fucker was trying to scare us and I don't care. We have to get out of here now."

"He was having a full conversation with himself." Marcia responded, almost in a whisper. "...And what was that line about "the food is waiting"?

"I don't think he's faking it either." Mabel intervened, pulling the hood over her head so she could hide her tired and worried grimace. "There are lots of mental disorders rarer than his."

"Well as I said, it doesn't matter! We have to go crazy on him and-"

The door suddenly opened, shutting up the three girls instantly. Dennis stood in front of them as he closed the door behind him, recognizable to Mabel due to his glasses and his dark clothes. He was carrying a bucket with several cleaning products and headed towards the bathroom.

"You! No..." he started as he made a disgusted face. "Please, keep your area neat. This bathroom is unacceptable. Making it easy, I've color-coded these." Dennis furthered, pointing towards the cleaning tools. "Use the blue bottle f-for the floor and the pink bottle for the ceramic surfaces."

He breathed out, clearly uncomfortable, and licked his lips. After a few seconds he made a gesture to the group in order for them to approach. The albino stood up and walked towards him slowly, looking at him out of the corner of her eyes. She took the bucket's handle, almost imperceptibly grazing his hand, making them to look straight into each others eyes.

_He's been thinking about you._

_He couldn't take you out of his head_.

_He wanted to. He really did._

_They've been arguing about you. Twenty-three voices inside his head. Twenty-three people locked up in his head. Twenty against three._

Without a word, Mabel gazed away and headed towards the bathroom, closely followed by Claire and Marcia, the three of them kneeling on the floor. The man leaned on the door's frame, looking at them from above.

"Patricia has reminded me that I brought you here for a reason. That you are sacred food and...I promise not to bother you again." His tone was almost apologetic, as if he was ashamed of his own lack of control. When the girl were about to start cleaning, Dennis cleared his throat.

"You." He said, pointing at Mabel. "Come here."

The girl swallowed silently and, after a second, she stood up and walked with him jut outside the main room, the door almost closed so no one could hear them. Once both of them were alone, Dennis folded his arms in front of him, his tight shirt showing off his strong muscles.

"Patricia has also told me about your conversation." The man said thoughtfully. "She told me about you."

"What did she say?" She asked, whispering.

"That your name is Mabel." The way he pronounced his name made her skin tingle with mixed feelings "That you're not from around here. And..."

"And?" The girl arched a brow, curious.

"She also says you claim to need medication for your skin. That you need pills for that. But she doesn't believe you."

"Why?" Mabel tried to hide the desperation in her face by pulling slightly the hood a bit more over her head.

"Patricia saw you behavin'...oddly, when both of you spoke." Dennis responded, his gaze hard on her. Seeing that the girl was awfully quiet, he rubbed his head.

"We're really tryin' hard to make everything as comfortable as possible for all of you. After all, you were chosen for something greater." He continued, his last words being said with hints of proudness . "So, tomorrow I will find out the purpose of your pills and, if you were telling the truth, Patricia will allow you to have your medication back".

_Don't you see?_

Mabel looked up, her hair sliding out the hood and falling onto her chest. Dennis' eyes were firmly fixed on her as he spoke.

_She doesn't see. She's not seeing it._

_Give her time. It takes time to evolve. Even more for someone so worthless and stupid as her._

_Shall we say it? Teeheehee!_

Dennis saw it again, right in her ruby orbs. That strange look, her left eye twitching. That strange shadow that covered them with dark thoughts, making his skin crawl. Clicking his tongue, he took a few steps ahead of her and proceeded to open the door.

_Patricia this. Patricia that. Blah blah blah._

_Almost as if..._

_...as if he was being commanded._

"Step ins-"

"Does she always tells you what to do?" the words slipped through her lips, understanding finally what her inner demons were trying to tell her.

Dennis froze entirely, processing what the girl had just said.

"Excuse me?" He asked, trying to masquerade the anger piling up in his guts with little success.

"You're always doing what Patricia wants you to do. You told us before that Patricia told you to behave, and right now you said she also wants you to find out if I was lying to her."

"What's your point." He spitted out, turning back to her and standing just a few inches away from her, trying to intimidate her. But she had seen what needed to be seen in order to remain calm.

"It's almost as...as if she was making you do all the dirty work. As if she was in charge of you and your actions."

"That's...that's..." He wanted to tell her how wrong she was, how everything he did so far was because he wanted to. But then he started to remember, and with the memories, doubts came. How he watched the girls for four days just because she said so. How he created their room just because she told him so. Everything for Kevin's well-being, she used to say.

Everything for making all of them to believe.

"That's...not true." He hated how forced it sounded the roughness of his voice when it came out of his lips. Mabel's lips parted a bit, breathing carefully and steadily. She closed her eyes for an instant, preparing herself for her next action.

"Dennis..." He hated himself for how good and pleasant it felt to listen to his name when she was the one saying it. The man couldn't help but gasp in utter surprise when her fingers, cold as ice, slide through his own, holding his hands. "Dennis, listen to me. You don't have to do this...any of this. I know you know this isn't right. I can see it."

The blue-eyed man wanted to believe her. He really did. His hand went to her face and took in between his fingers a lock of her ivory hair, feeling it. Then his hand moved towards her neck, which was covered by layers of clothes. The man felt the urge to kiss it endlessly.

 _"What are you doing?"._ Patricia's recognizable voice echoed in her head as she tapped her fingers loudly against her knee.  _"Are you actually listening to her?"_

 _"_ I can help you. We can make the right thing."

_"She's a witch, Dennis! Can't you see she's tricking you? I told you not to trust her. We only have each other. Or have you forgotten the pain others has caused us?"_

"De-"

"Stop talking!" He finally shouted, desperation hinted in his voice as he grabbed Mabel's neck strongly, choking her and pushing her inside the room, tossing her to the floor.

Marcia and Claire shrieked in surprise and ran towards the girl as she coughed loudly, trying to breathe.

"I do what I want to do!" He stated as he leaned towards her, furious. "You wouldn't understand. You don't know us! I'm the only one who can do these things, the only one strong enough to bear this kind of weight, and that's why I do them. I'm needed!"

Mabel's hand hitting the floor shut him up. She looked at him in a way he has never seen before, like she was plotting the many ways she could end with his life.

"That's what she's making you believe."

Dennis's brows furrowed as his lips parted, taken aback by her words. Blinking effusively as he was taking in her words, he left the room without a sound.

_And so it has begun._

_The seed of doubt, drinking in his dreamed cause._

_The mist of darkness, approaching and shaping you._

The teens helped the albino to get to the bed in between words of concern and worry. They laid her body over it and let her there as she slowly slipped towards sleep.

* * *

"Mom...I'm scared." The little girl confessed as she headed to a wooden cottage, ashamed. "I heard everyone saying it's not going to work on me. I knew you told me it would but...what if it isn't?"

The woman knelt in front of her, her skirt flowing around her, taking the strains of hair away from her face.

"My sweet girl." She smiled, placing a hand on her cheek "They only say that because your father is not like us. But you don't need to worry, Mabel. Everything will be okay."

"You shouldn't tell her those things, Sorina." Another woman approached them with a disgusted look on her face as she gazed upon the kid. "It might as well just not work."

"I don't want to hear it." She responded angrily as she stood up, facing the other woman. "She is my daughter, and so she carries our blood."

"If only you didn't do such a stupid thing such as falling in love with a foreigner. It's against our traditions, and you knew that! Her very appearance is a reminder of what happens if we dare to do what you-!"

The sound of her mother's hand slapping the woman's face made the little girl gasp with surprise.

"Not. Another. Word." Sorina threatened, provoking the woman to flee. Sighing, the woman took in her arms her daughter and looked at her directly in the eyes.

"My shining moon." She lovingly referred to her. "There are many that can't see beyond what they have for granted. There's a whole world outside our settlement, outside this village, waiting for all of us. Your father was from that beyond, and it was our love what made me realize how wrong I was to think our traditions had to shape my live. If we don't love like that, are we really loving at all?" Mabel wrapped her arms around her mother's neck, tearing up. "Don't ever be ashamed of your body, family and blood. You and your sister are the best version of all of us."

Mabbel rubbed her eyes and nodded, ready for what was about to come. Her mother placed her on the ground a knocked on the door softly.

The girl opened her eyes little by little, trying to get adjusted to the dim light. She was planning on taking it slow, but the sight of the other two crouching over their bed, and the flower that was carefully placed right besides her made her raise her upper body up as she looked to the door.

There, sitting under the door frame, the man was looking at them with a smile and a childish glow on his eyes. Even though it was the same body, Mabel was sure he was neither Patricia nor Dennis.

"My name'z Hedwig." He introduced himself, lisping. "I have red zocks."

The three teens looked at each other, not really sure about what to say. Hedwig pressed his lips together and looked at them mischievously.

"He'z on the move..."

"What?" The albino asked him, frowning.

"He'z...on...the...mooove..." He repeated devilishly.

"Who's on the move?" She asked again.

"Someone'z coming for you and...you're not gonna like it. You look funny!" Hedwig exclaimed, pointing at Mabel.

"Tell us." Marcia said, the terror clear on her voice.

"I'm not supposed to say." He responded, looking away. However, as if talking to them was incredibly fun, he turned his head again "But he'z done awful thingz to people and he'll do awful thingz to you. I have blue zocks too."

"He's...the reason why we're here, right?" Mabel continued, not giving up. Hedwig shrugged in between giggles, obviously amused by the situation. Because of it, the teen tried a different approach. "How old are you, Hedwig?"

"Nine." The boy said with a big and proud smile.

_A boy trapped inside the body of a man._

_A boy who will have no childhood nor adulthood._

_Constantly laughed upon._

_Constantly trapped between his world and the world that surrounds him._

_A very lonely, lonely boy._

"Your eye is making weird-"

"Nine? Wow!" She exclaimed, startling Hedwig a bit. "You're very old, aren't you!

"...Am I? I-I mean, of course I am!" The boy exclaimed, placing his hand over his chest. Slowly, Mabel left the bed and sat on the floor, facing him.

"Of course you are! I'm sure Dennis and Patricia treat you as the grown-up man that you are, right?"

"They...uh...they don't tell me much. I just ate a hot-dog."

"What? But how's that possible?" She asked in an exaggerated way "That's not fair at all, don't you think?"

"...Yeah!" He said while nodding "Yeah, it'z not fair! After all, Mizter Denniz and Mizz Patricia have the light becauze of me!

"Well that's a problem." She continued, pushing herself a bit towards him. "You know, if you helped us get out of here, we could take you with us." Mabel smiled, shortening the distance between them.

"I-I can't do that. I'm not even zuppozed to be here! If Mizter Denniz findz out I ztole the light he will get very angry-wait." Hedwig frowning and looked with distrust to Mabel, confusing her. "I know who you are."

"What?"

"Mizz Patricia warned me about you! She zaid I shouldn't trust you. That you're a witch and-and that you will only make me confused!"

Mabel bit her lips, worried about the situation. She almost made it, goddammit. She had to think about another way to handle things fast, or the boy would just leave.

That's when she started to laugh. A laughter that froze everybody's blood.

"W-What'z zo funny?"

"Hm. I thought I kept my secret better." The girl said smiling wickedly. "I guess it's of no use now."

Just when he was about to ask her what was she talking about, the girl stood up instantly, making him to fell backwards, scared.

"Patricia was right, Hedwig." She said darkly,looking at him from above. "I am a witch."

"F-For real?"He asked as he crawled backwards, terrorized.

"Yes, Hedwig. But now you know my secret. And I can't allow that." She extended her hand towards him and he shrieked, quickly standing up and closing the door behind him

"T-The room waz made new and reformed! You won't be able to get out!" He screamed from the other side. "You wont be able to get me!"

"Don't you want to learn, Hedwig!?" She shouted while running to the wall, but the boy had already left. She wasn't sure if he had listened to her, but it would suffice for now.

"At least he's gone now." Claire sighed, collapsing onto the bed. "But we have to get outta here.

"Wait. He...he said something. Something about this room being new." Mabel whispered thoughtfully as she placed her hand on the bathroom's wall. "This is all new dry wall"

Marcia and Claire looked at each other and approached the wall, touching it. Claire started to knock hardly on the wall and so did everybody else, trying to find what was covered up. However, the whispers started to fill Mabel's mind again and, as she stepped back towards the center of the room, she looked up.

"The ceiling." She breathed out, earning Marcia's and Claire's attention.

They moved the bed to were Mabel was standing and as Claire handed her her stiletto, Mabel climbed on the bed and started to pierce it, making it fall to pieces onto the bed. While the albino worked her way through the ceiling, Marcia looked through the keyhole, watching out for the man.

"Tell us what you see, Marcia." Claire whispered, holding the bed so Mabel wouldn't fall. A few moments later, Mabel had almost broke the entire portion.

"Oh god. He's coming!"

"Hold the door! Don't let him in!"

The teens launched towards the door and, with all their strength, held it.

"Uhm...I thought about it. I want you to teach me, etcetera!" The unmistakable voice of Hedwig made them gasp as the girl rushed her work. The kid tried to get inside, but Claire and Marcia stopped him.

"Guyz? W-What are you doing? Hey, it'z not funny!"

"We're changing!" Marcia responded to his cries in a futile attempt to calm him down. They screamed when they felt hoe he threw himself towards the door.

"Imma zlap you in your face for behaving bad!"

Just when Claire and Marcia were at the very edge of giving up, the sound of metal crashing with the floor made them look back.

Mabel had made it. She opened a way out.

"Climb, Mabel! Climb!" Claire cheered her with renewed strentgh. It took at few attempts but, just as the door was finally giving in to a greater strength, the girl slipped in.

* * *

"Come on Mabel, keep crawling. You can do it. Don't think about the darkness. You're fine."

She crawled until she found another slit, one that she pushed slightly to make the metal panel fell onto the ground, going right behind it. She found herself in a long corridor, one that didn't have an apparent end.

_Go right!_

_Right. Right. Right._

_Don'tlethimcatchyoudon'tlethimcatchyou._

_**RUN!** _

And so she did, heading towards the direction they had told them to go. She ran as fast as she did in a long time, almost as fast as when she run at that fateful night.

"HEY!" Dennis' voice echoed behind her, like a wolf's howl as it followed it's prey. It made her run even faster.

She saw ahead a group of lockers and, in a split second, she decided to get inside one of them, hoping the man wouldn't notice her. However, as soon as she was about to turn to them, a figure appeared right in front of her, provoking her to fall onto the floor.

Her mother, Sorina, stood in front of her, hopelessness written all over her face.

"Not here." Her voice was eerie, not of this world. As Mabel tried to catch her breath, her mother's finger encouraged her to keep running in the same direction. A single tear left the girl's eyes as she stood up and ran away.

And so she ran, following constantly the voices' advice, believing she would never find the exit. Until she saw it.

Sunlight sliding though a metallic window.

She has never been so happy to see the sun in her life. She pulled her hood over her head, waiting for it to be enough protection for her eyes. She turned left and there they were, stairs which ended on a door.

She laughed with exhaustion as she made her way up the stairs. She has made it! She was actually getting out!

She was almost there.

She opened the door, letting the sight of sunlight flood her eyes.

She extended her hand and...

"AAAAAAAH!" The smell of burned flesh filled her nostrils as she fell backwards in agonizing pain. When she looked at her hand, wide eyed, she couldn't believe what she witnessed.

Her hand was burned, the excruciating pain making it tremble uncontrollably.

"No. No this can't be happening." Mabel said on repeat as she looked at the exit and her hand back and forth. She was that, in the long term, the sun could produce damage to her skin. But it had never actually burned her like that before.

_It's happening._

_It's finally happening!_

_She's changing_

_changing_

_**changing.** _

_HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!_

_There's no way out of the darkness of your mind now._

"N-No..." Tears streamed down her face, unstopabble.

She was trapped inside the darkness.

She has been in it for too long.

And now she couldn't get out.

"NOO!"

And so, Mable cried helplessly in the unforgiving shadows of the cursed place she was held in, understanding her body and brain had, finally, crossed the line she was so afraid of. There was no going back to her old life now.

Her third death awaited her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this took longer to update! I had an exam and I wrote the chapter in two days XD. Still, I hope you like it! This fic is getting more and more attention and I can't even thank you enough for all our lovely comments and kudos. I love reading and seeing them! If you liked this chapter (a very important one I dare say) please consider leaving a comment!


	5. Stab It With Your Fangs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapter is finally here! Phew, this one is really long and it took me ages to finish since I wasn't entirely happy with it at first. I hope you enjoy it though, as there are pretty important things here as well! I will keep thanking you for your comments, kudos and bookmarks at every chapter, as those are really what keeps me writing, so thank you all again!

 

* * *

 

"This can't be happening!" Dennis screamed at the top of his lungs, unable to keep his emotions bottled "THIS CAN'T BE HAPPENING!"

He punched the nearby wall and rubbed his head furiously, still not being able to believe what happened. Mabel, the girl who since her arrival had been an enigma to him, had finally fooled him.

She had escaped.

The image of her legs sliding through the air outlet still popped painfully in his head, the shiver that ran through his spine when he realized all their plans were about to be destroyed by a miserable girl, all things he had under control quickly falling apart. It made him insane.

And so he ran. He ran as fast as he could, even when sweat started to cover and dirtying his skin. He yelled her to stop and looked for her around every corner, even inside a group of lockers he was sure she would hide. And yet, she was nowhere to be found. 

Dennis finally stopped searching for her when he found one of the exists opened, the sunlight bathing his body while slowly realizing what was about to happen. She would report them to the police, the other two girls would be rescued and he would be charged as a criminal. Even if Patricia, Hedwig and he wanted to proceed with the ritual right now, the Beast wasn't still ready to be brought into the light.

 _"We need to focus."_  Patricia said, maintaining a cool temper.  _"If she has escaped, we need to act fast. Take the two other sacrifices somewhere else. Remove proof and evidence of everything that happened here."_

 _"She probably took her broom and flew away!"_  Hedwig intervened, strangely rather excited  _"That'z what withcez do, right?"_

 _"Be silent now, Hedwig."_  The woman hushed him severely yet calm  _"The adults are talking. Besides, don't let her appearance and words fool you. She's nothing out of the ordinary."_

 _"Whatever..."_ He pouted, feeling left out again.

 _"Now, Dennis, I want you to breathe in and collect yourself."_  She thoughtfully indicated him.  _"Then, go to the girls' room and tell them you had to put Mabel down due to bad behavior."_

"But--"

 _"We must kill their hope, even if it's not true. That way, there will be no more escape tries"._ After Dennis nodded, Patricia continued  _"Then, you will take the chloroform, spray them with it and put them in the van. Understood?"_

"Yes, Patricia." He responded while breathing slowly "I'll get goin'."

 _"Good."_ She said, satisfied. 

The man turned back and headed to the teen's room, ready to follow Patricia's orders. However, as he walked by, words echoed in his head, words that still haunted him even with her gone.

_You're always doing what Patricia wants you to do._

He shook his head, trying to vanish the thoughts from his mind.  This was no time for doubts or second guesses. Now, more than ever, he needed to be what everyone expected him to be. The cold and calculating evil man with a perfidious mind.

When Dennis entered the anteroom, he took a second to inhale and exhale thoughtfully, letting his nerves cool and his mind think of his next words. He approached the door but, just as he was about to open it, he heard murmur inside. A very jittery one.

He opened the door without even knocking, and what he found made him lean his head to the side in curiosity.

The two girls where crouching in the space between the two beds, their backs facing the man. Their incomprehensible whispering denoted their uneasiness, and the fact they still hadn't noticed his presence meant they were up to something.

With a grunt, he approached the girls as he frowned, ready to stop whatever they were doing. When he was only about a few inches away from them, one of the girls noticed him and gasping, alerting the other and standing up, pressed closely together.

"Outta the way." He barked roughly, his patience long running out. The man pushed them to the side without any care, ready to dismantle whatever they were doing. What he saw, however, left him speechless.

Mabel, the one who had supposedly escaped, was there, sitting with her legs pressed closely to her chest and head low, arms tightly tied around them. Her body was moving back and forth, an almost inaudible muttering coming from her lips.

Dennis sighed loudly, feeling his body and mind light as he was being released for the tremendous burden of her escape's consequences. He licked his lips and relaxed his shoulders, covering his face with his hands trying to hide the grin that appeared on it. Finally, he inhaled trough his nose and turned to the girl on the floor, thinking in the million ways he was going to make her pay for her behavior.

"Stand up." The man commanded as he adjusted his glasses. The albino didn't move however, still blabbering nonsense. Dennis' patience, still not recovered, couldn't stop him from grabbing one of the girl's arms and rising it high.

"I told you to--!" The blue-eyed man shut instantly after seeing her hand, limply dangling on one side of her wrist. It was obscured and bloodied, as if it had been badly burned. He let go almost intermediately, her arm going to her initial position.

"What did you do to her, you monster!?" The blonde teen demanded to know, almost in tears.

"I...I didn't even touch her." He responded softly, unable to understand how she had such a bad injury. Sure, there were hot pipes in there, but none of them were able to produce that kind of wound. And if it was as dangerous as it looked, she could be in serious trouble. "You two, go into the bathroom."

"But--!"

"Go in there and don't come out until we're gone. Now." His harsh voice didn't leave room for complaining, and so the two girls obliged reluctantly. As soon as they were gone, the man looked down at her, still unsure of what to do. 

Frowning, he fixed his shirt and pulled from his pocket a yellow handkerchief, placing in onto the ground. Then, he carefully proceeded to kneel on top of it, trying not to touch the floor under any circumstances. He looked at her with a mix of feelings, hating the fact she was able to make him produced such powerful thoughts. As he got closer to her, he could hear that she was, in fact, murmuring in another language.

"Nu, nu din nou. Da, stiu. Nu vreau. Rămâi tăcut. Haha! Roșu, roșu în pădure. Roșu pe mâinile mele. Roșu în jurul meu. Soarele, stai departe de soare."

At first he thought to grab her shoulders, but her hoodie was too dirty for him to bear. Instead, his hand made his way to her cheek, hidden behind a ghostly veil of white hair. Dennis' fingers fluttered over his skin slightly, the contact making his skin jolt. Truth be told, he was overwhelmed by how much self-control he was needing with the girl in front o him. He longed to touch and to be touched, to desire and to be desired, to accept and to be accepted by someone more than anything in the world, but he wanted that someone to be her even more.

He grew confident, his hands now pressing against both her cheeks. The coldness of her skin could somewhat cool his flustered skin. He lifted her face slowly, her hair falling to the sides and letting her face be visible little by little. 

"Mabel?" Dennis said softly. The girl looked at him without really seeing him, her gaze lost. Tears markings covered her face, framing the big bags that were growing under her eyes.

"Acela nu este numele meu. Numele meu este..."

"Mabel." His voice was now firm and a bit demanding.  Hearing her name seemed to have some kind of effect on her, as she blinked repetitively and managed to focus her gaze on him, looking at him straight in the eyes. Her breath became uneven while she looked around her, finally returning to the real world.

"...Dennis?" She whispered, recognizing the man after a few moments. "What...?"

"Calm down." He hushed her, moving his hands away from her. "You're badly injured. We need to take care of it."

As if she suddenly remembered, Mabel looked down at her hand with a hiss and nodded. Taking her other wrist, he helped her stand and guided her towards the exit, closing the door behind them. However, before they set foot outside the next closed room, Dennis stopped and turned around, facing the girl.

"Before we go..." He licked his lips and looked away. "Remove it."

"What?" She asked frowning.

"Remove your hoodie. It's dirty; I can't stand it." Dennis repeated, now gazing into her eyes. Mabel's eye twitched for a second, but she finally accepted with a sigh. However, the man noticed the painful grimace she had on her face as she tried to lift her hoodie with both her hands. 

"Stop." He said after Mabel tried unsuccessfully a few times. The girl looked at him with an arched brow, an expression that would soon turn into a wide eyes when the man approached her without a warning his icy blue eyes clouded and dark. She stepped back away from him, until her hips collided with a desk, stopping her. 

Dennis stood just a few inches way from her, towering her and looking at her from above. Mabel felt small and weak with a hand practically useless, and her knees started to tremble. There was something about the way he looked at her that made her breathless.

_What a hungry wolf._

_The wolf wants you, desires you more and more._

_But this is not the wolf you should fear. Oh no, no._

_They are a pack, and this is only the strongest among the weakest._

_Wait until you see the leader of the pack._

_What will you do then, little red riding hood?"_

Dennis' hot breath touched her face as he slid his fingers underneath the red fabric, trying to touch the outside as little as possible. Mabel gasped under his touch, and was grateful her hair could hide the redness of her face. She knew she should be scared, she should hate him for kidnapping her and by taking her medicines away changing her slowly and, in a way, it was true. But there was something about the man that intrigued and made her feel at ease—perhaps the fact that they both had a shattered body and mind in their own way.

As they still looked at each other in the eye, the girl lifted her arms while Dennis pulled up the piece of clothing, the thick, red hoodie changing to a thin, black sweater with a turtle neck. The man placed the garment on the nearby table. They stood silently there for a while, their breathing being the only sound around them. When she opened her mouth to say something, he stepped back and took her wrist again.

"Let's go."

* * *

The brunette stood in front of the police department, gathering all the courage she had buried inside her. This was one f the few times in her life she was going to go against his uncle's desires, the mere thought of it making her tremble in pure terror. However, Casey knew that if she didn't do anything, she would regret it for the rest of her life.

Breathing in deeply, she opened the transparent doors and entered into the station. She was supposed to ask for the police in charge of the case and so she did as soon as she got to the receptionist.

"Casey Cooke?" An unfamiliar voice called from behind. The girl turned around and found a tall, corpulent man with a dark, foreign complexion. He had green eyes and a crooked nose, and his face had little scars scattered all around. The man was formally dressed, but didn't display the police uniform.

"Yes?" She responded, distrust written all over her face.

"My name is Victor Florescu, Miss Cooke." To Casey, his accent sounded awfully familiar. "Your case was assigned to me this morning."

"Are you a...police?"

"I'm afraid not. I'm a FBI agent." He showed her his licensed plate for a brief moment and put it back. "I was told about the reason why you were contacted, and I need to ask you some questions. Follow me, please."

The man guided her through the hallway into the corridors, and stopped shortly after in front of one of the offices. He opened the door and let Casey step in first, closing the door when they were both inside. He gestured for her to sit down in a chair across the table as he did the same thing on the other side, fixing his jacket and taking a series of files from inside the table's drawer.

"So, Miss Cooke..."

"Call me Casey, please."

"Casey." He corrected himself with a little smile. "First and foremost, I want you to know we are doing everything we can to find your friends, and that your help is heavily appreciated."

"Thank you." She said, nodding. 

"However, there is something we noticed while reaching for your friends' families. We finally found out the school they were attending to and everyone told us you were her closest friend.

"Wait...is something wrong with Mabel?" Casey asked, worried and concerned.

"I'm afraid there is." The man continued, his eyes looking at her deeply. "You said her name was Mabel Sadoveanu, right?"

"Yes." She responded with a frown. "D-Did I misspelled her name in the document?"

"That isn't the case. Casey..."  The man continued, his eyes looking at her deeply. "There is no Mabel Sadoveanu."

Silent filled the room as Casey tried to process what Victor had told her. Her lip twitched for a second and he leaned forward, placing her hands onto the table.

"What...what do you mean?" She asked, completely stunned. 

"We searched for her everywhere. We looked into the immigration register, the census...and we didn't found anyone matching her name and characteristics."

"But how? I-I mean, that had to be her name, there wasn't a single problem with it at school--"

"That doesn't always mean the names are true, sadly. And hers wasn't, Casey." 

"Why would she lie?" The girl asked, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I don't think she did it out of a whim. She must have had a good reason for doing so. Her people are known for having various names, but their surname should stay the same." Like Casey, Victor leaned onto the table and looked at Casey again as he opened one of the files."Nevertheless, there is someone that matches in everything, except the surname. I will give you a picture of her, and I want you to tell me if it is the Mabel you know, alright?"

The brunette nodded, and so Victor handed her a photograph he pulled earlier from within the file. As soon as her gaze landed on it, Casey gasped in surprise and disgust. The picture showed a much younger Mabel, with the difference that in the photo she was completely torn apart. It was a close-up of her head. There were dirt and blood covering her face, traces of dried leaves scattered across her hair. Her cheeks were sunk and her fingernails long, eyes looking into oblivion. Seeing the horror in which she looked at the picture, Victor proceeded talking.

"This photograph was taken when she arrived at the police station of Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania. She and her whole family had been attacked by a net of human traffickers due to their exotic lineage. Mabel was the only survivor."

"Oh my god..." Casey whispered, trembling.

"I was the one in charge of her case back there. I made sure the traffickers were found and jailed and that the little girl was found a proper home. However, you could say the bodies of law in Romania aren't the cleanest." He said, clenching his fists in anger "And so I lost the case and her track when she moved here. I don't know if she did so intentionally or...or if she was caught by another traffiking  net. Please, I must know...Is that the Mabel you know? I need..." Victor looked away and frowned, clearly affected by the memories "...I need to know."

"I believe she is." Casey responded in a shivering voice, still traumatized by the FBI agent's story.

"Back there I was only a cop." Victor furthered reluctantly. "But I promise I will do everything I can to save your friend, Casey. I owe her that. " 

The girl nodded, convinced to do the same. Casey herself has been through rough and terrible things over her life, but she couldn't even began to imagine the things Mabel had to live all by herself, in a foreign country.

"Can I ask you..."She started, her mouth dry. "...Can I know her real surname?"

After a few second, Victor gazed into her eyes heavily, intertwining his hands together.

"Malkavian. Her name is Mabel Malkavian."

* * *

"Why did you came back?" Dennis spitted out, unable to held back his curiosity. Mabel panted, a sound in between laughter and resignation that surprised him. While the girl seated on a chair, he took the first aid kit from one of the cabinets from inside the kitchen, sitting shortly after in front of her as he placed it on the table.

"I guess I just couldn't leave." Mabel simply said, making the man frown deeply. Her crimson eyes landed on his icy ones, and he could feel it. He could feel there was something inside her that was changing.

"What does that even mean?" He asked while taking from the kit bandages and antibiotic ointments.

The girl opened her mouth for an instant, willing to answer, but closed it shortly after, averting her gaze.

_There's no one around him. Around you._

_The others are sleeping. Numb. Silent._

_Isn't this the perfect opportunity?_

_The moon shows the path is best taken._

_Earn his trust. Earn his affection. Earn his heart._

_Then, stab it with your fangs._

"Say, how about we play a game?" Mabel suggested, softly arching a brow while extending her hand.

"I'm not here to play games with you." He responded severely, obviously not in the mood for her tries of bundle-ling his mind.

"You'll want to play this one." Before he could complain, she kept talking "I'll ask you a question and you have to answer truthfully. Then you can ask me. And we can ask about everything we want." Mabel saw his brows furrowing for an instant, and she knew she had awoken his curiosity again.  "If one of us doesn't want to answer, then we can propose a little dare. Nothing too extreme. How does that sound?"

"Utterly stupid and pointless. I don't have time for this, I have an appointment in two hours."

"Great! You can start." 

Dennis grunted, applying a little more force into the bandage, making the girl hiss in pain. This was definitively a waste of time, one he was completely uncomfortable with. She had already messed with his thoughts too much, making him aware of the treatment Patricia was giving him and making him doubt about the Beast's awakening. And he couldn't allow himself to doubt when his reception was this close.

However, he would lie if he said her little game didn't spark in him a flame of curiosity. The girl has been a mystery to him and the others from the start, and perhaps this way he could find weaknesses within her.

He also thought about the possible dares he could make her go through.

"What if I lie?"

"Believe me, I'll know it. Oh, and that counts for one question, by the way."

Mabel grazed her fingers against her lips, thinking while looking at Dennis. Truth be told, the man had never felt someone putting that much attention to him. "Are you the...original one, if that's how it's called?"

"I'm not." He responded, taking the sticking plaster out. "All of us are here to protect Kevin."

"Kevin? Is that how he's called?"

"It's my turn to ask."

"Hm. Fair enough." She nodded with a grin, leaning her head to the side.

"Why did you came back?" He asked without looking at her so he couldn't see her triumphant smile, still treating her wounds.

"Honestly...I don't know." She responded, stunning him. "After my hand burned I simply...black-outed. I guess I woke up when you touched me."

Did that mean she didn't remember what she was talking about, Dennis thought. Perhaps she was in a kind of sleepwalking state. That was good. That meant she didn't remember the way back.

"My turn." Mabel smiled softly, and she saw how Dennis began to feel less awkward about the situation. "You said you're here to protect Kevin. Protect him from what? What made him...create you all?"

The man looked up at the ceiling, thoughtful. He wasn't entirely comfortable about telling Mabel about his past. Then again, the girl wouldn't be alive for much long. He fixed the place of each and every tool he had pulled out to treat Mabel and looked at her.

"Kevin's mother was...bad to him." Dennis started, licking his lips and looking away, pushing his glasses up. "We were born to protect him form her, and we stayed to protect him from the world."

Mabel thought about asking him to explain further, but since she was trying play nice, she thought it would be the best for her to stay shut. And so she did, nodded, and gestured him to ask her something. He thought about asking her about the pills, her odd behavior or the burned skin, but ultimately realized it would be a waste, since he was going to ask Dr. Fletcher about it shortly after.

"Why aren't you scared?" Dennis asked without a second thought, making Mabel arch an eyebrow, surprised. "Why are you here, talking with the man that has taken you away from your home and family?"

"That questions has two answers. However, I will answer both." She stated after a while, gazing into his eyes as her white eyelashes fluttered around her own. 

Dennis leaned forward a bit, anxiously waiting for her words. Her attitude was something that has been bothering him for too long—always looking at you with a serious expression yet a fearless one, as if calculation your every movement.

"Firstly, your statement is wrong." Mabel smiled sadly, looking at her now bandaged hand "You haven't take me away from my family and home, for I have none of it."

Dennis opened his mouth to say something, obviously confused by her answer, but Mabel lifted one of her fingers, indicating him to remain silent. She breathed in and out, soothing herself.

"And secondly...I guess I remembered there are worst things than dying."

It was at that exact moment that Dennis knew. He knew just how different Mabel was from the other two sacrifices. For the first time, the blue-eyed man asked himself if Mabel's place was among them as a sacrifice, and not with him a a pure soul. Perhaps she was indeed broken, but there were still chances she was an impure one. One thing was clear: her voice didn't tremble with lies when answering his questions.

"What's Kevin's full name?" The question caught him off guard, making him blink a few times.

"Why do you want to know?" He said, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Answer my question, please." Her voice sounded a rough, as if Dennis' question had left her in a bad state.

"...I'm afraid I cannot." Mabel smiled, and the man had the sensation she was waiting for this moment for a long time.

"I can respect that, though I'm afraid you'll have to go through a little dare." She said wickedly. "Names are very powerful, you know. That's why my people keep them hidden."

"Your people? You mean Romanians?" 

"Not exactly. Since you agreed to play, I will answer this last question." Mabel rested her head over her hand, averting her gaze. "I was born in Romania, yes, but my people don't really belong anywhere. 

"And who are your people?"

"We are the Romani. Gypsies, putting it blandly." There was a hint of pride in her voice. "Romania is a place of ancient tradition and even more ancient superstition, so people didn't really bothered us unless they wanted something. But, returning to the question, it is tradition among us to have three names. One is for everyone to know, the one that will go into the register and juridical stuff—in my case, Mabel." She furthered, placing her other hand over her chest. The look of concentration Dennis was giving her, so focused on her explanation, almost made him look somewhat cute.

 _Almost_.

"The second name is only known among the community. It's much more private, and if someone knows it outside the gypsy circle basically means you're trusting them immensely.  The third one..." The albino girl's mind drifted somewhere else for an instant. "...The third one is only known by you and your mother. No one else is allowed to know unless you're ready to give them your very heart."

Mabel's words sank in, slowly and deeply.That meant Mabel wasn't even the name she identified as, not even close. She was meticulously careful, he gave her that.

"In summary, it's all for protection. That's how powerful a name can be, and how much power can it give you to know one. Funny the surname stays the same, though. Now." She leaned over the table as she placed her hands off the way, grinning. "How about I tell you what your dare will be?"

"Look, I'm not gonna--"

"I want to talk with Hedwig." Her demanding made Dennis frown in distrust.

"Why?"

"You said you would accept the dare. I promise my intentions are good." She furthered. "Please."

Before Dennis could complain, he felt the light slowly and forcefully being taking away from him, and he knew Hedwig has listened to her call. He suddenly found himself in The Room, looking helplessly at how the spot was being redirected to the little kid.

Mabel saw the man change in front of her eyes, his face twisting in seemingly pain and relaxyn shortly after, transforming his expression entierly. His severe and serious grimace turned into a more childish one, his eyebrows arching with happiness and his eyes looking at the girl with infinite curiosity.

"You wanted to zee me?" He asked, his voice sounding completely different. It took a moment for Mabel to process his change, but he masqueraded her shock with a gentle smile.

"I did." Mabel said as she stood up startling Hedwig, who dangled his legs over the chair. She knelt in front of him, looking at him with caring yet unsettling eyes. "I wanted to apologize. For scaring you."

"I wazn't zcared!" He stated, pouting. The girl giggled at his child-like behavior and placed her healthy hand on top of his, making him look at her. 

"I know you weren't. But what I said was wrong, and I shouldn't have treated you that way." she apologetically said, gently squeezing his hand. "Can you forgive me, Hedwig?"

"Hm hm!" He nodded cheerfully, clearly touched by her ask for forgiveness. She wasn't as bad as Patricia had told him, he thought. "But only if you promize to play gamez with me too. I know Mizter Denniz wantz to be with you every time, but I want you to play with me!"

"I will." She agreed, deliberately not mentioning anything about what he said of Dennis.

"I wanna know. Iz it true you're a witch? Like, with spellz and such?"

"I'l leave that to your judgement." She chuckled with a wink.


End file.
